legal and social conditions for asylum seekers and refugees in ...

Germany and are caught by the police near the border are dealt with under the Dublin procedure
in Denmark, but with shorter time limits for sending and answering the requests to take charge.
All decisions made under the Dublin procedure are communicated in writing to the applicants,
who must be informed of their right to contact the Danish Refugee Council for information and
counselling. The decisions of the Immigration Service can be appealed to the Minister of Interior,
but appeals have no suspensive effect.
Applicants processed under the Dublin procedure are issued with a registration card, which is
valid for one year and renewable on a one-year basis. They are granted the same type of
accommodation and social rights as other asylum seekers pending the decision of the requested
state.
Entry into the territory
An asylum seeker who arrives in Denmark and is not rejected at the border will be allowed entry into
the territory and admission to the determination procedure. Those who have entered illegally may
lodge their application directly with the Immigration Service. Applicants who contact other institutions
are referred to the Immigration Service.
Immediately after entry, the asylum seeker will be taken to a registration centre at Sandholm or
Avsntrup, respectively north and east of Copenhagen. Both centres are run by the Danish Red Cross
on behalf of the Immigration Service. Upon registration, the asylum seeker will be required to give
his/her name, address, date of birth and a brief statement explaining his/her motives for seeking
asylum. If the person can establish his/her identity and travel route, he/she will be transferred to the
Red Cross reception camp. If there is insufficient information to establish identity and travel route, the
asylum seeker can be detained in the prison section of Sandholm camp (under the responsibility of
the Ministry of Justice) until the information can be satisfactorily established. Asylum seekers may
also be detained subsequently if they fail to attend an interview with the police.
After a short period in the reception camp, the asylum seeker will be asked to complete a
questionnaire detailing family and work circumstances, military service, financial circumstances,
political activities and reasons for seeking asylum. The completed questionnaire is then translated.
However, asylum seekers from European countries, including most eastern European countries and
certain African countries, do not complete the questionnaire because it is generally presumed that, in
most cases, they will not be granted asylum in Denmark. These applications are processed under a
fast-track procedure introduced within the manifestly unfounded procedure (see below).
Hereafter all asylum seekers attend an interview with a representative of the Immigration Service,
where they will be given the opportunity to explain in greater detail the replies given in the
questionnaire. Interpreters are provided, when necessary.
On the basis of the information given during the interview, asylum seekers will be placed either in the
manifestly unfounded procedure or in the normal determination procedure.
Manifestly unfounded procedure
Normal manifestly unfounded procedure: if the Immigration Service decides to place an application
in the manifestly unfounded procedure, the case will be forwarded to the Danish Refugee Council
(DRC) for independent review.
A representative of the DRC’s Asylum Department will interview the asylum seeker to ensure that all
relevant information has emerged from the questionnaire and the interview with the Immigration
Service. An interpreter is provided if necessary. As far as possible, female applicants are interviewed
by a woman.
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Denmark